King Of Light secured back-to-back victories in the £45,000 5-furlong handicap at Haydock, holding off Fanom by half a length at odds of 5-1. Ridden by Daniel Tudhope and trained by Stuart Williams, the four-year-old maintained his unbeaten record at the track after previously winning a nursery at the same fixture in 2024.
King Of Light Defends Haydock Title Under Tudhope
Building on a fifth-place finish in the Portland, King Of Light was driven up the stands’ side rail by Daniel Tudhope. He seized the lead inside the final furlong to edge out Fanom by half a length. Trainer Stuart Williams noted that the progressive horse had performed consistently in tough sprint handicaps throughout the season and is expected to develop into an even better horse next year.
Weather Disrupts Stable’s US Plans for Sunlit Uplands
The success at Haydock provided a welcome lift for Stuart Williams’ stable following weather-related disruption to international plans. Stablemate Sunlit Uplands was scheduled to compete in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont. However, an incoming storm forced the cancellation of the fixture, pushing the globetrotter’s next US assignment back to the following week. Sunlit Uplands previously won the Group 3 Hamburger Stuten Meile and finished second in a Grade 2 event at Saratoga.
Hector Crouch Reaches Century Milestone with Centigrade
On the same card, Hector Crouch reached 100 winners for the year after guiding Centigrade to victory in the opening mile handicap. Trained by Ralph Beckett, the four-year-old bounced back from a well-beaten run in a Listed contest at Sandown. Making all at odds of 5-1, Centigrade delivered Crouch his third consecutive century of winners.
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